Happy Thursday everyone! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on the recently released Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation. Wow, try saying that 5 times quickly!
I’ve been testing this foundation for a month or so now and I finally feel ready to share my thoughts with you… along with my first ever foundation application video!!
It’s taken me ages to get the courage to post a video because I suffer with really bad anxiety and one part of my anxiety is that I panic when I’m in front of the camera. I’m fine taking pictures, but my face on my blog forever ina video… haven’t been able to do it. I still can’t talk on videos. I don’t talk on IG stories and I don’t see that changing, but I have managed to show my face haha!
It was actually quite fun to film and edit and I really hope it helps you see the kind of coverage and finish the Shiseido Self Refreshing Foundation gives because a video is a much better way of showing you, rather than me trying to write it all out!
DISCLAIMER: LOOK FANTASTIC LINKS ARE AFFILIATE, ALL OTHERS ARE NOT. ALL PRODUCTS PURCHASED BY ME.
This is the first Shiseido foundation I’ve tried and I have to say I’m impressed! This has become a favourite very quickly because it gives great coverage, while being a natural, skin like finish that’s imperceptible on the skin. The first time I applied this I was worried it was going to look heavy as I thought I put too much on, but nope. It’s so at one with the skin it’s incredible! Let’s break everything down, before getting into my final thoughts and video.
COST
The Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation costs £39 for 30ml.
It costs £1.30 per ml which I think is pretty reasonable considering you only need one pump to completely cover your face. This is going to last a while!
PACKAGING
This foundation comes in a frosted glass bottle with a plastic cap. To use, you turn the plastic cap and it opens the pump. There’s no lid, but you can still close it, so no air is getting in.
I really like the packaging, it feels weighty, solid and nice in the hand. I also love the simplicity. The only bug bear I have is that because the pump is exposed you can see the foundation in and around it. I always wipe it off after use, but it looks a bit messy.
SHADE RANGE
It comes in 30 shades and neutral, cool and warm undertones. I did find the numbers a bit confusing to begin with as I’ve never bought a Shiseido foundation before, however, eventually I found my shade after searching Google!
Asian brands are not normally known for having great shade ranges, but this foundation comes in 30 shades, which is great. I do think it would be much easier if they put an N, W or C after the number so you instantly know the undertone. I had to dig the depths of Google to find a table that said 130 was the fairest neutral shade!
The breakdown of colours is fair – 10 shades for fair-light, 10 for medium-tan and 10 for deeper shades.
I would advise going in store to find your shade match, or search Google images as the swatches when you select your colour to buy are much darker than the foundation actually is.
Here’s the shade 130 Opal. It’s actually a really good match for me, it doesn’t go orange or warm on me, it stays a beigey neutral colour.
CLAIMS
- Weightless
- ActiveForce technology which self refreshes non stop for 24 hours
- SPF30
- For all skin types
- Medium coverage
- Resists humidity, heat, oil and motion
- Breathable, blendable, buildable
I haven’t worn this for 24 hours, but I have worn it for a 14 hour day and it looks great all day. I don’t know anyone who actually wears their foundation for 24 hours, so I can’t agree with that claim.
I agree that it’s weightless, it really is, you cannot feel or see it on the skin at all. This foundation doesn’t break me out, it is super easy to blend with a brush and sponge and easily built up.
I can’t say I agree or not with the “self refreshing” claims. I don’t know if I was expecting to see it sink into a line and then suddenly vanish in front of my eyes, but that didn’t happen! I can say that it does stay fresh looking all day. It doesn’t cake up, sink into lines or pores or break up and become patchy.
I love the fact that it has SPF30. I would still advise putting your own layer of SPF on and just using this as a top up, rather than relying on this completely.
I do think it would be good for all skin types. It doesn’t cling to any of my dry patches, looks great on my oilier parts and great in my larger pores. I have bits of my face which are normal too and it looked great everywhere.
I definitely agree it’s medium coverage. I would say on the higher end of medium and you get full medium coverage with one pump and the first layer you apply.
I haven’t done a full workout in this foundation, but I have got hot and sweaty and it looks great.
It really is light and beathable on the face and blends and builds SO easily.
APPLICATION AND WEAR TEST
So, let’s get into the video, so you can see how gorgeous this is on the skin! I primed my skin with SPF and my Fenty Hydrating Primer. I do think it wears longer with some of my other primers, so bear that in mind. Also, at the 8 hour point in real life, it’s not as shiny as it looks on camera. It was dark after 8 hours of wear, so I had to use artificial light which always makes your makeup look super shiny!
In reality, I can get a good 12 hours wear without powdering. The video does show, however, that it hasn’t caked up or sunk into my pores at all and shows the coverage you get and how natural it looks on the skin. The way this foundation wears is just beautiful! It never needs a reblend throughout the day!
PS – Please excuse the spot that needs its own postcode. It decided to join me the morning of the day I wanted to film. Thank you skin!! 😀
To watch this video in higher definition, click here.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I LOVE this foundation. It’s stunning, wears amazingly and I cannot get over how flawless and natural it looks! It photographs beautifully as well:
I’ve worn the Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation on top of this Sephora primer and the Touch in Sol one and it wears better over them, than the Fenty. It doesn’t wear badly with the Fenty, but it gets shiny quicker.
I don’t set this foundation with powder, I just give it a quick spritz with MAC Fix Plus. I have combo skin and I can still wear this for hours without powdering. It’s one of the best foundation launches of this year… and there have been a lot!
If you’re in the market for a foundation which you can put on and forget about, then this is it. You don’t have to worry if this will look good or not, because it will. I got a proper sweat on the other day when I was wearing this (going in and out of hot shops, then back into the cold!) and I checked myself in the mirror and it hadn’t changed/moved at all.
Since I love this foundation so much, I want to try more Shiseido foundations! I’m also going to try the Self Refreshing concealer soon, I really hope it’s as good as the foundation!! Let me know if you get to try this foundation and how you like it!
Annie is a self-taught baker, recipe developer and food photographer, who has an obsession with dessert and beauty! 
